Warren Buffett removes Gates Foundation from charity list amid Epstein Files controversy

Warren Buffett has removed the Gates Foundation from his annual charitable stock gifts, CNBC reported. The omission follows a Wall Street Journal report that Buffett paused his usual donation to the Gates Foundation pending a review of its ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Since 2006, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman has donated more than $43 billion worth of Berkshire stock to the philanthropic organisation founded by Bill Gates and his former wife, Melinda French Gates. Buffett’s donation was more than $4.5 billion last year.

With the Gates Foundation removed from the list, this year’s donations will go to four family-linked foundations.

According to the report, Buffett will donate 9 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. At the same time, the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation will each receive 1 million shares.

“My goal is to dispose of all of my Berkshire shares within about eight years,” Buffett said in a statement announcing the gifts. “As I explained last year, my children are unfortunately growing older. I have every hope that the three of them can carry out the disposal of my shares by December 31, 2034.”

Shared great times together: Buffet on friendship with Bill Gates

Buffett, earlier this year, in an interview with CNBC, clarified that he had not spoken with Bill Gates “at all since the whole thing was unveiled.”

Asked whether the two remained close friends, Buffett said they had shared “great times together,” but added: “Until it gets cleared up … I don’t think it makes sense to do a lot of talking.“

This year, a trove of documents released by the US Justice Department reignited scrutiny of Gates’ ties to Epstein. The tech billionaire appeared in a congressional hearing this month and said his meetings with the late financier and sex criminal were “a grave error in judgment.”

He also stressed that he “did not fully understand ​the extent” of Epstein’s crimes when he associated with the late convicted sex offender to raise money for ‌his philanthropic foundation.

Gates also testified that he never witnessed any criminal conduct from Epstein.

Following the increased attention, the Gates Foundation commissioned a review of its past interactions with Epstein and intends to examine policies for vetting new philanthropic partnerships. Buffett has been in touch with the foundation’s leadership to learn more about those ties and the review, the people told the Journal.